review
In November, people traditionally remember the deceased – and this year they happily remember someone who, luckily, is still alive
November 1, 2021 – Text: Klaus Hanisch; Cover photo: Nathan Rupert, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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When Diego Maradona, the other Argentine miracle footballer, died last November, it was remembered that, decades after his wonderful games, fans in Naples sang: “Oh mom, mom, I saw Maradoooona – and I’m in love.” now – and during his lifetime – everyone says who saw his “foster son” Lionel Messi play in Prague exactly ten years ago.
When he sprints towards the opponent’s goal at top speed, his small, quick steps are reminiscent of the stitches of a sewing machine. But Lionel Messi doesn’t put things together, he’s tearing apart. Namely the defensive ranks of his opponents. Like Maradona, Messi is playmaker and goalscorer at the same time, snipping and dribbling, lobbing and beheading, can be found everywhere and never by opponents. Messi demonstrates the lightness of being a footballer – also on the evening of November 1, 2011, when the little Argentine plays with FC Barcelona in a Champions League match against Viktoria Plzen.
Lionel Messi was only 24 years old at the time and was still a phenomenon. In 2009 he had already won everything that can be won in professional football with FC Barcelona: Champions League, Club World Cup, Spanish championship, cup and Supercup, European Supercup. Six titles in one season – unique until then. For Messi himself there was even a seventh trophy: World Player of the Year.
A year after this triumph, he shot FC Barcelona almost alone to the Spanish champions with 34 goals, and in 2010 he also won the Golden Shoe for the best striker in Europe for the first time. And in the following season he also collected six titles: Champions League, Club World Cup, Spanish champions, European Supercup as well as two personal honors as the best player in Europe and again as a world footballer – for the third time in a row, as the first professional ever.
After the final against the Catalans in May 2011, Alex Ferguson said that in his 26-year career as a coach he had never played against a better team than against FC Barcelona. His Manchester United lost this final 3-1 and was still well served. As impressive as Barca played their opponents against the wall in those years, so convincing is Leo Messi in all his appearances.
“The best team of all time”, wrote the “kicker” logically about FC Barcelona in its preview of the 2011/12 European Cup season. The eleven celebrate a “beguilingly beautiful football” and also successfully. Who could ever stop them, asks the German trade journal. Because Lionel Messi is surrounded by Spaniards at Barca, who at the same time are the measure of all (football) things with their national team. Not only because of their one-time series of titles with the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship triumphs in 2008 and 2012, but also because of their footballing genius.
Barca will face Czech champions Viktoria Plzen at the beginning of November 2011 in Prague’s Eden Stadium – actually home of Slavia Prague. Because the stadium in Pilsen is not suitable for games in the top European league. Barcelona can secure their place in the round of 16 of the Champions League early in this game. Accordingly, almost all the world and European champions who play for Barca are on board.
Only Xavi did not make the trip to Prague. The Spiritus Rector of the Barca team – a stair joke in football history – was never personally honored despite all the titles and skills. Why Xavi coined the bon mot: “I make world footballers.” Just Messi! And it runs in the Czech metropolis. Messi always wants, always can. “If you don’t let him play, he’s stinky,” said his coach Pep Guardiola in advance. Messi’s father also confirmed this with every question.
The title collectors Carles Puyol and Sergio Busquets are also on the square. And Cesc Fàbregas, who scores a goal against Pilsen and is happy about it as if it was his very first. Andrés Iniesta, who scored the Spanish winner in the World Cup final a year earlier, is also warming up with his colleagues on the pitch, but is not used. When Messi enters the Prague lawn, a murmur goes through the audience. While warming up, he doesn’t hit the ball in the center circle three times up into the air like Maradona without moving. He also doesn’t juggle it across the lawn until he gets tired of it. Rather, he still proves to be a normal team player among his teammates.
The game has barely kicked off, but it immediately becomes clear who the superstar is in the Eden Stadium. Above all through him, Barca dominated the game and opponents. Pilsen hardly has anything to counteract, almost logically the Czechs decimate themselves by being sent off in the middle of the first half. On that cool autumn evening in November 2011, Messi demonstrated in the Czech capital that he was already at the height of his playing art is. At the end there is a clear one 4-0 victory for the Catalans on the scoreboard. However, this result is only important for the annals. Crucial for those who were there are the three goals scored by Leo Messi. As in the past with Maradona, his goals are not infrequently masterpieces:
24. Minute. Messi is knocked off his feet by Čišovský in the penalty area, the Slovakian sees the red card. The fouled shoots the penalty himself, pushing it loosely to goalkeeper Pavlík for the lead. Messi’s 200th goal for Barcelona. 1-0 for the guests.
45. Minute +1. Messi makes it 2-0. After a one-two with Adriano in the penalty area, the Argentine pulls from eight meters, Pilsen’s keeper has no chance.
90. Minute. 4-0 for Barca. After the header from Cesc Fàbregas to 3-0, Messi finally got a three-pack. Piqué serves him with the hoe, the Argentine curves around the keeper and pushes in. Gate 202 from Messi. At the age of 24, Maradona had “only” scored 196 hits.
The people on the stadium stands cheer, the scenario in the Eden Stadium is similar to bread and games from Roman times. Messi’s performance is so overwhelming, almost not from this (football) world, that the “Prager Zeitung” inevitably gives the impressions of him and this game in the form of a gloss:
On Messi’s edge
When the world’s best footballer is in attendance, cities humbly kneel before him. Not so in Prague. “Hey, Messi” was the headline of a trade newspaper before the Champions League game between Pilsen and Barcelona, disrespectfully welcoming them. Which should mean: “Nice that you are here. But please hold back! “
Because Lionel Messi causes nothing but problems. Either he dissects Barca’s opponents with speed dribbling and double passes. Or he split an eleven just because of his jersey. Like Pilsen.
Even before the first leg in Barcelona, Václav Pilař expressed his natural claim to the dress, because he is considered a mini-Messi in the Czech Republic. However, Milan Petržela got the jersey because he had already contacted the missionary for the highest football culture at halftime. In return for the exchange, the Pilsen attacker promised to leave a 100 percent chance in the second leg alone in front of the Barca goalkeeper. Which he reliably fulfilled.
In this game, the FC Barcelona superstar caused great disorder in the Pilsner penalty area and lived up to its name. Several times he went through the defensive chain of the Czech master like a messi through the butter.
Because of the shirt affair, the team spirit at Viktoria Pilsen was on Messi’s edge for days. But Leo himself released the tension. After completing his mission with two goals in the first half, he gave Pilař his jersey at the half-time whistle. And after the Messi was finally read with his third goal shortly before the end, he also delighted Pilsen’s defender František Rajtoral with a shirt.
With that, calm finally returned to the ranks of western Bohemia. Eternal thanks be to the Messiah.
When Maradona said goodbye to Naples in November 2001, even journalists are said to have stood on chairs and intoned “Maradooooo, Maradooooo”. Messi’s appearance in Prague ten years later also led to a hype even among experienced reporters. Spanish radio commentators, who broadcast the game live in their homeland, roar so loudly into their microphones that Czech colleagues in the press rooms turn around to look at them, frightened. Especially after Messi’s goals. “Gooool, Gol, Gol, Gol, Goooooooool. Messiiiiiiiiii! “
To see his game – “just beautiful”, enthuses a colleague of the “Bild” newspaper, who traveled specially from Dresden. “So beautiful!” For Messi, the opposing defenders are like slalom poles, like a skier, he curves through the Pilsen defensive rows. Keep the ball very close to your foot – as if it were an extended toe. Fints, tricks and goals.
In the so-called mixed zone, reporters wait for statements from the players. It is located in the “belly” of the Eden Stadium, close to the team buses. As always, Messi remains taciturn, with phrases, grateful for the victory and so on. Nevertheless, a Prague football expert is delighted that he has “two minutes of Messi” on his tape. It almost sounds like he’s got a six in the lottery.
At that time, coach Pep Guardiola has already started his game day conference upstairs in the press room. He answers questions about Messi’s (again) brilliant performance in a monosyllabic and succinct manner. In Spanish, English and Catalan. Guardiola hardly strokes her beard, nor does he knead his face thoughtfully, as is so often the case at interviews and press conferences. What can he say about the performance of his team – and about Messi? After all, everyone has seen again what genius this Argentine is.
Guardiola would rather not just write an autograph in her notebook for his Czech translator at the end, but also a few lines: “Thank you for your help”. She told me that when I met her again four years later during the U21 European Championship in the Czech Republic. “Zabiják MESSI”, the Czech trade journal “Sport” headlines its match report the next day: “Killer Messi”. By the end of the 2011/12 season in which Barca competed in Prague, he will have scored an incredible 50 goals in the Spanish league alone.
In the cemeteries in Naples even the dead were allegedly mourned if they never saw Maradona play: “You don’t know what you’ve missed.” Just as Lionel Messi walked into the square, my cell phone rang. My wife informed me that my grandmother had just passed away in Germany. She lived to be exactly 100 years old and was a huge soccer fan all her life. And she knew about my passion for Prague. She would have been delighted that she died on the very day when one of the greatest footballers of all time put a big show on the lawn in the Eden Stadium.
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